The Wayback Machine (1/?)
Title: The Wayback Machine
Character/Pairing: Wash/Taylor, Elisabeth/Jim, Mira/Guz, Carter/Skye, Others
Word Count: ~3970 for this chapter
Genre: Romance, Drama, Action, Angst…
Rating: PG-13
Summary: They’d all but forgotten about the crates of artifacts from other times in history, but then they stumble upon something that reminds them that while they’re alone right now, that doesn’t mean they’ll definitely stay that way forever.
Author’s Note: Set in the context of my other stories. The relationships are all established, the Sixers are re-integrated into the colony, and the Phoenix Group and Lucas are long gone. I just realized that I’ve never really ventured down the road related to the crate from the last episode.
Disclaimer is as usual - no profit, not mine, just borrowing.
In this bright future you can't forget your past. -- Bob Marley
The incessant beep of a comm drags Alicia up out of a deep sleep. Nathaniel is draped around her like a hundred-and-seventy-pound blanket, and he appears to be sleeping right through the noise. She just returned from OTG, and he spent the prior day helping the agriculture teams manually harvest some of their new wheat-type grains. They’re both exhausted.
She opens her eyes, blinking a few times before struggling to free an arm to reach out for the still-beeping comm on the nightstand. His arms tighten around her, thwarting her efforts, so she resorts to elbowing him in the chest to get him to let go. She hears a soft, “Oof,” when she does, but it has the desired effect.
His arms loosen enough for her to reach out and grab the comm. She puts it to her ear and taps it on, noting that the clock on the nightstand indicates that it’s about three in the morning. “Washington. This better be good.”
Alicia feels a little guilty when she hears the scared-rabbit voice of the private on communications duty at the command center. “Ma’am! I’m sorry for disturbing you and the commander, but we just got a distress call from the northernmost outpost. They’ve had a slasher attack and need medical assistance.”
The words wake her up more fully, and she shakes Nathaniel off completely, sitting up on the edge of the bed. “How many wounded, Private?”
Her words appear to rouse Nathaniel as well, because he pushes up on his elbows and gives her a questioning look. She holds up her hand as the private replies, “Two, ma’am. They got caught outside the outpost fence after dark. The third scientist and their security support are unharmed. One scientist’s wounds are pretty minor, but the other is bleeding a lot, and the corporal with them called because he’s worried that it’s not slowing as much as it should.”
Alicia indicates two with her fingers, and she sees him nod out of the corner of her eye. “All right, Private. Please call Dr. Shannon, Lieutenant Guzman and Carter as well, and have them and Mr. Shannon meet us at command. Also, call Sergeant Reilly, and ask her to report to our quarters.”
The private responds affirmatively and clicks off, and Alicia sighs, flopping backwards so that her head and shoulders rest on Nathaniel’s midsection. Still propped up on his elbows, he looks down at her with a serious expression. “What happened?”
She explains, and he straightens his arms so that he’s flat again, one hand reaching down to comb through her messy, unbound hair. He blows out a breath when she’s done. “Crap. We’re both worn out, but we can’t send Guz since Mira just had the baby three weeks ago. Shannon’s out too, since we don’t like to send both him and the doc out at the same time. Rock, Paper, Scissors to figure out who has to go with Carter and Elisabeth?”
She laughs quietly, closing her eyes. “That doesn’t work, Nathaniel. You always choose rock.”
He snorts underneath her. “Yes, but you sometimes let me win. That’s how I know when you actually want to do what we’re shooting over.”
She turns her head and looks back up at him, smiling. “I love you.”
He brushes her hair out of her eyes. “I love you too. Now, I guess we need to get up. I assume you had the private on duty summon Reilly for babysitting duty?”
Reluctantly getting to her feet, she looks down at him and nods. “Yes. It’s somewhat beneath her position at this point, but since I need Carter and Elisabeth at the command center, she’s the next best choice. Gracie loves her.” Alicia refers to their three-year-old.
He follows her up. “Agreed. And I know Reilly doesn’t mind.”
They both dress quickly, strapping on their holsters and various weapons out of habit, though the threats inside the colony are basically non-existent these days. They both sit on the edge of the unmade bed to lace up their boots. He finishes first and watches her. When she’s done, she leans forward on her elbows, trying but failing to stifle a yawn.
He laughs and rubs her back. “My thoughts exactly, Lieutenant.”
He stands up and leaves the room, and she grabs her leather jacket from the hook by their door and shrugs into it. He’s out in the living room waiting for her when she emerges from their bedroom with a pillow and blanket. She puts them down on the sofa just as they hear a soft tap at the door, and Alicia steps over and allows a sleepy looking Reilly to enter.
“Thanks for coming over, Laura.”
The younger woman yawns, and Alicia and Nathaniel both have to grin at her messy hair, sweatshirt and cotton shorts, paired with heavy socks and unlaced combat boots. “No problem, ma’am, sir.”
Nathaniel heads for the door, and Alicia points to the sofa. “Back to sleep, Sergeant. Gracie’s still out and probably will be for a few more hours.”
Reilly nods and, after kicking off her boots, wordlessly curls up on the sofa under the blanket. Alicia chuckles and follows Nathaniel out, guessing that Reilly will be asleep before Alicia can shut the door.
A few minutes later, they’re climbing the stairs of the command center, followed closely by the Shannons and Guz. When they get to the office, they find Carter already there. He’s perched on the edge of the conference table and has flopped back on it, eyes closed. Alicia snorts. “Need more beauty sleep, Carter?”
Carter throws his arm over his eyes, and when he replies, his voice drips with sarcasm. “Well, we can’t all be as naturally beautiful as you, Wash.”
Alicia’s snort is even louder at that, and she goes over and sits next to him on the edge the table. Nathaniel chuckles and shakes his head, still amused by the odd rapport shared by the two of them.
The others enter the office, and Alicia bumps Carter to get him to sit up. Jim comes over and sits on the other side of Alicia, while Guz, Elisabeth and Nathaniel stand there watching them. Jim immediately reaches around Alicia to goose Carter in the side, and Carter tries to retaliate. They both get an elbow to the side from Alicia.
Nathaniel clears his throat and crosses his arms across his chest, but Elisabeth and Guz both just laugh. Nathaniel raises an eyebrow at them. “Are you three done?” Alicia grins, and Jim and Carter look sheepish. “Lieutenant, would you like to enlighten everyone on the situation?”
Alicia snaps him a smart-assed salute. “Yes sir.”
They all grow more serious when Alicia explains why they’re all here in the middle of the night. Elisabeth asks a few questions about the more seriously injured scientist, but Alicia doesn’t have the answers. She looks at Guz. “Guz, can you take Elisabeth down to communications?”
Nathaniel nods. “Doc, talk to them out at the outpost, determine what you need, including personnel. We’ll sort out the rest of your escort.”
Guz and Elisabeth leave, and Nathaniel turns back to the three of them, still sitting on the table. Carter speaks up. “I assume I’m one of the team. At a minimum, I know Guz can’t go, mainly because we’re all too afraid of Mira to make Guz go OTG right now.”
They laugh quietly at that. Alicia shakes her head. “As if he’d be willing to leave her and Gabriel right now anyway.”
Jim smiles. “That really is a cute kid.”
Guz comes back in. “He is. Lucky boy looks more like his mother than like me.” He looks at all of them. “I’m assuming you already know I’m not willing to go yet, not unless it’s an absolute necessity.”
Alicia hops off the table and goes to his side, looping her arm through his. “We know, my friend. And as Carter noted, we’re all too afraid of your dear wife to ask you to.”
He chuckles. “Thanks. And I’ll tell her. She’ll be happy to hear it.”
Jim starts to say something, but Nathaniel shakes his head. “Shannon, if you’re going to volunteer, save it. Either Wash or I will go. We don’t send two parents out at the same time unless we have to. You know that.”
Jim sighs and nods. “I figured you’d say that. Understood. I’ll hang back with Zoe.”
From Guz’s side, Alicia looks over at Nathaniel. “Rock?”
He nods. “Scissors, right? You want to go.”
She pulls her arm away from Guz and walks over to Nathaniel. “I don’t want to go, but Carter and I can both help Elisabeth if needs be. I’m the one that should go.”
Nathaniel looks at the others. “Give us the room. Carter, go get geared up and, you know, let Skye know you’re going. Shannon, check with Elisabeth to see if she needs anything special. Guz, I know they’ll at least need a rhino and a rover in lead. Get Reynolds, Dunham and a couple of privates to go with them. With slashers out there, I don’t want them undergunned. Have everyone meet at the gate at oh-five-hundred.”
The men agree and beat a hasty retreat, clearly worried that there might be fireworks. They didn’t have to be concerned though. Nathaniel turns back to Alicia with a serious expression. “I can go, you know. You’re exhausted, and you just got back from OTG.”
She shakes her head and reaches up to cup his cheek in her palm. “You’re exhausted too, and it was just a day run. I’ll be fine. I’ll make Carter drive the rover with me and Dunham, and Reynolds can drive the rhino with the doc and the kids and a nurse if the doc brings one.”
As if on cue, Alicia’s comm goes off. “Alicia, this is Elisabeth, come in?”
She taps it on. “What do you need, Elisabeth?”
“Jim just called and said that he thinks both you and Carter are coming along. Can you confirm?”
“He’s right. I’m going to head home to get my gear, and Carter’s doing the same, that and telling the wife. Why?”
“If I have the two of you, I think we can go without a nurse. Agreed?”
Alicia nods. “Agreed. We can help with the wounded. OK to leave the rest of your staff here.”
“Great. Jim said to meet you at the gate at 5 am?”
“Affirmative, Elisabeth. We’ll be on the move as soon as the sun starts to rise.”
“I’ll see you then. Shannon out.”
Nathaniel takes her hand. “Let’s go get you geared up.”
They head home, making it back in a few minutes. When they quietly enter, they see that Reilly, the pillow and the blanket are missing from the sofa. Exchanging a concerned look, they split up. Nathaniel looks in their bedroom while Alicia heads for Gracie’s. Alicia quietly pushes open Gracie’s door, which was slightly ajar. The sight that greets her brings a grin to her face.
She hears Nathaniel behind her, and he comes to a stop, huffing out a soft laugh. Reilly is curled up in Gracie’s little bed with Gracie spooned in front of her. Reilly is using the pillow from the sofa, and they are both covered with the blanket. The tail of Gracie’s stuffed dinosaur peeks out from under the blanket as both of them sleep soundly.
They back quietly from the room, closing the door behind them. When they get to their room, they close the door behind them, and Nathaniel surprises her by spinning her and pressing her back into the door before pressing an intense kiss to her lips. She wraps her arms around him and opens her mouth to twine her tongue with his. A few moments later he pulls back and touches his forehead to hers. “Be careful, all right?”
“Always am.” She smiles up at him.
Not wanting to disturb Reilly and Gracie, they get her gear together and she puts on her armor in their room before she goes out and makes some coffee. She pours some into a mug, intending to finish it before they leave from the gate. He gets her a bowl of fruit that she likes, and they head up to the gate, seeing that it’s after four. She doesn’t like leaving Gracie without saying good-bye, but she also hates to wake her up this early.
By just after five, they have everyone and everything loaded up. She slips into the passenger seat of the rover, and Carter takes the wheel after Dunham gets in the back. As the sun begins to appear on the horizon, Nathaniel leans down to the door opening. “Safe travels, people. Don’t need to say it, but call in when you get there.”
She reaches up and squeezes his hand where it rests on the doorframe. “We will. Give Gracie a hug for me, and tell her I’ll call her tonight for storytime.”
He nods. “Yes ma’am.” He leans in and presses a kiss to her temple before straightening up and calling up to the men on duty to open the gate. He waves them out and they turn to the north, heading in what they all know is the direction of the Badlands.
After a few minutes with the only sound being the air moving past them as they fly towards the northern outpost, Carter says loudly, “It always feels weird going this way, even though we all know that the Phoenix Group and Lucas are gone.”
“I know what you mean.” She agrees, and she wraps her arms around herself a little and tries to suppress a yawn.
“Wash.”
She looks over at Carter and lifts a questioning eyebrow. “Take a nap,” he motions towards the back, “The kid and I will wake you up if something, you know, tries to eat us.”
Usually she’d argue, but the day before was long and today will likely be longer. She settles back in the seat. “You better. If something eats us, Nathaniel will be pissed.” The last thing she hears before dropping off is a chuckle from both Carter and Dunham.
A few hours later, Alicia wakes. They’re still moving through the trees, and she looks down at her watch. She rolls her shoulders, but despite the stiffness in them, she feels much better than she did a few hours ago. Carter looks over at her. “Feel better?”
“I do.” She smirks at him. “Are we there yet?”
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Halfway.”
Another few hours pass before they roll into the fenced area at the outpost. It’s early afternoon, and they all pile out of the two vehicles quickly. Elisabeth is the first through the doors of the outpost, followed closely by Alicia and Carter. Carter and Elisabeth go to see to the injured, and Alicia goes to communications to let them know they’re here and that she’ll check back in shortly.
She goes looking for Carter and Elisabeth then. The young soldier on babysitting duty meets her at the door of the small room where they have the two injured scientists, the third, uninjured one sitting in a chair between them looking distraught.
It’s clear that one of the injured, a woman, is hurt but fine. Alicia can see that her arm is wrapped tight, but that she otherwise seems all right. A male scientist, a man she recognizes as one of the lead botanists on Malcolm’s staff, looks far worse. His color is bad, and the bandages around his midsection are bloodied.
Carter helps Elisabeth while Alicia stands nearby with the soldier. “Corporal, how did this happen?”
The young man looks embarrassed. “Ma’am, they wanted to check out a night-blooming flower we’d seen nearby. I told them we’d have to get more support first, that I’d call in today. But they got overconfident because we haven’t seen any slashers during daylight hours. By the time I realized they were outside after dark, it was too late. I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Alicia pats him on the arm. “It’s OK, Corporal. If they left without telling you, it’s on them. You’re here as their protection, not as a warden.” She looks at the uninjured scientist, a young woman in training. “Caitlin, right?” The young woman nods. “Go with the corporal and get your things packed up. We’re all heading back to Terra Nova right now if we can move the doc here, or first thing in the morning.” She looks back at the corporal. “Help Caitlin get everything ready.”
The young man looks relieved, and he follows the girl out. “Yes ma’am.”
“Lieutenant?” Alicia looks to the bed of the injured female scientist, also in training, and she sees the woman beckon her over. She approaches the bed, a questioning look on her face. “Miss Cartwright, correct?”
The woman blushes. “Yes ma’am. I have something to tell you. Caitlin is worried you’ll think I’m making it up or just that I’m certifiable, but ma’am, when we were attacked, I heard voices. Human voices, a man and a woman. The woman sounded frightened and the man was yelling threats, as if he was chasing her. Then, I heard the man’s voice screaming.”
Alicia looks skeptical. “Miss Cartwright, you had a big scare…”
The woman looks stubborn. “Lieutenant, there were voices. I’d stake my life on it.”
With a steady gaze, Alicia sizes the woman up. Nothing in her body language or demeanor indicates that she’s making it up or that she’s confused. “Which way?”
“Back to the north, straight towards…”
“The Badlands.”
“Yes.” The woman nods.
“OK, Miss Cartwright, take it easy.”
Alicia turns to Carter and Elisabeth. Elisabeth gives her a worried look and motions towards the door. They walk into the hallway. “He’s mostly stable, Alicia, but we need to wait until tomorrow to move him. I’ve got some blood on ice, and I want to transfuse him, build him back up a bit before we go.”
Carter nods. “I’m with the doc, Wash. The wound’s nasty and deep. It’s a miracle it didn’t kill him.”
“Understood.” She proceeds to tell Carter and Elisabeth about what the other scientist told her.
Carter lifts an eyebrow. “She’s probably just panicky, Wash. There’s no one left out here.”
“I know, but she’s serious. We need to at least check it out to put her mind at ease.” She puts a hand on Carter’s arm. “I’ll take Mark and Dunham in the rover. We’ll just cut out a few klicks and back. Easy peasy.”
Elisabeth looks over at the young woman. “She does look distraught.”
Carter huffs out a breath. “Well, at least take me with…”
“No.” Alicia shakes her head. “Elisabeth needs one of us here. I’m going, you stay. We won’t be gone long.”
She doesn’t leave him any room to argue with her, just turning on her heel and heading out. Dunham and Reynolds are there, keeping an eye on the vehicles. Alicia sees the two privates walking the perimeter. She gets to Dunham and Reynolds. “Want to go for a ride, boys?”
Ten minutes later, they’re rolling towards the north, already a few klicks away from the outpost. Reynolds and Dunham, like Carter, expressed skepticism about this, but there is something gnawing at Alicia. Something about the young scientist’s story, about her face while telling it, made Alicia certain that they needed to check it out.
“Wash!” Reynolds’ voice cuts into her thoughts. She looks over at him, and he points off towards three o’clock. “I just saw something reflective. Might’ve been some kind of metal?”
She nods and steers the rover in the direction he indicated. A moment later she slams on the brakes. They peer through the windshield at the unexpected sight in front of them. It’s a man, dead, clearly mauled and partially eaten by predators, likely the same slashers that attacked their people. “Dunham, Mark, cover me.”
She hops out, gun drawn, and she approaches the mangled, destroyed body. The sight makes her brow furrow, as she looks down at the weapon next to the body. It’s an old handgun, what she thinks might actually be a flintlock pistol, the kind she remembers reading about being used in duels and the like. Her eyes travel to his clothing, and she can tell that it’s an old Earth style, maybe as old as the late 18th or early 19th century, which would fit with the pistol.
“Wash, what the hell?”
She looks up to see Mark hovering over her, staring at the corpse. “I don’t know.” She starts to say something when a crashing sound from the bushes make them all raise their rifles. Alicia says, “Fall back to the rover, now.” She quickly bends and grabs the pistol, and she backs towards their vehicle as the crashing gets closer.
But then, Alicia hears something that makes her freeze. “Help me, please! Help!” It’s a woman’s voice with what sounds like an English accent similar to Elisabeth’s, though somehow more formal. A second later, a young woman, no more than twenty years old, bursts out of the trees. She’s crying and filthy, and her arms and face are covered in scrapes and scratches. Long, blonde hair frames her face, falling out of what once was probably a neat bun.
The oddest part of the very odd moment is her clothing. She’s wearing a dress, empire waist, with elbow-length sleeves and a simple, straight skirt that nearly drags the ground. The girl stops, her eyes sweeping quickly from Reynolds to Dunham to Alicia. When her eyes land on Alicia, she almost visibly relaxes, and she all but throws herself at Alicia.
Alicia hands her rifle and the pistol to Mark, and she lets the girl cling to her. As she does, she feels her begin to shake, and then Alicia feels the girl begin to sob against her. She looks up to see the two men staring. “Dunham, Mark, eyes out for predators. There’ll be time to stare later.”
Suitably chastised, they both look sheepish and go back to watching the tree line. Alicia looks down at the girl clinging to her like moss on a rock. “Miss? Was anything chasing you?” She continues to cry, so Alicia tries again. “It’s important, Miss. I know you’re frightened, but I need to know if anything was chasing you.”
The girl’s arms tighten around Alicia, but she seems to get the tears under control. “No, nothing was chasing me, not since the night, Mrs.,” the girl hesitates, looking up at Alicia with red-rimmed light blue eyes. “I am terribly sorry, I do not know your name.”
Alicia almost laughs at the formality. “Just call me Lieutenant Washington.” She puts her hands on the girl’s upper arms and gently pushes her back half a step. “What’s your name?”
All of the color, what little she had, seems to be draining out of the girl’s face. When she replies, her voice is barely a whisper. “Caroline, Caroline Mary Ashford.” She stares up at Alicia. “Where are we? I want to go home. Please help me go home.” The tears form in the girl’s eyes again, and Alicia’s heart breaks just a little. But then, she has to lunge forward as the girl’s eyes roll up in her head and she faints dead away.
Alicia manages to catch her before she hits the ground, dropping to her knees under the dead weight. She looks down at the unconscious girl in her arms and then up at Dunham and Reynolds, who still appear to be in shock. “Well, this one is going to be fun to report back.”
Character/Pairing: Wash/Taylor, Elisabeth/Jim, Mira/Guz, Carter/Skye, Others
Word Count: ~3970 for this chapter
Genre: Romance, Drama, Action, Angst…
Rating: PG-13
Summary: They’d all but forgotten about the crates of artifacts from other times in history, but then they stumble upon something that reminds them that while they’re alone right now, that doesn’t mean they’ll definitely stay that way forever.
Author’s Note: Set in the context of my other stories. The relationships are all established, the Sixers are re-integrated into the colony, and the Phoenix Group and Lucas are long gone. I just realized that I’ve never really ventured down the road related to the crate from the last episode.
Disclaimer is as usual - no profit, not mine, just borrowing.
In this bright future you can't forget your past. -- Bob Marley
The incessant beep of a comm drags Alicia up out of a deep sleep. Nathaniel is draped around her like a hundred-and-seventy-pound blanket, and he appears to be sleeping right through the noise. She just returned from OTG, and he spent the prior day helping the agriculture teams manually harvest some of their new wheat-type grains. They’re both exhausted.
She opens her eyes, blinking a few times before struggling to free an arm to reach out for the still-beeping comm on the nightstand. His arms tighten around her, thwarting her efforts, so she resorts to elbowing him in the chest to get him to let go. She hears a soft, “Oof,” when she does, but it has the desired effect.
His arms loosen enough for her to reach out and grab the comm. She puts it to her ear and taps it on, noting that the clock on the nightstand indicates that it’s about three in the morning. “Washington. This better be good.”
Alicia feels a little guilty when she hears the scared-rabbit voice of the private on communications duty at the command center. “Ma’am! I’m sorry for disturbing you and the commander, but we just got a distress call from the northernmost outpost. They’ve had a slasher attack and need medical assistance.”
The words wake her up more fully, and she shakes Nathaniel off completely, sitting up on the edge of the bed. “How many wounded, Private?”
Her words appear to rouse Nathaniel as well, because he pushes up on his elbows and gives her a questioning look. She holds up her hand as the private replies, “Two, ma’am. They got caught outside the outpost fence after dark. The third scientist and their security support are unharmed. One scientist’s wounds are pretty minor, but the other is bleeding a lot, and the corporal with them called because he’s worried that it’s not slowing as much as it should.”
Alicia indicates two with her fingers, and she sees him nod out of the corner of her eye. “All right, Private. Please call Dr. Shannon, Lieutenant Guzman and Carter as well, and have them and Mr. Shannon meet us at command. Also, call Sergeant Reilly, and ask her to report to our quarters.”
The private responds affirmatively and clicks off, and Alicia sighs, flopping backwards so that her head and shoulders rest on Nathaniel’s midsection. Still propped up on his elbows, he looks down at her with a serious expression. “What happened?”
She explains, and he straightens his arms so that he’s flat again, one hand reaching down to comb through her messy, unbound hair. He blows out a breath when she’s done. “Crap. We’re both worn out, but we can’t send Guz since Mira just had the baby three weeks ago. Shannon’s out too, since we don’t like to send both him and the doc out at the same time. Rock, Paper, Scissors to figure out who has to go with Carter and Elisabeth?”
She laughs quietly, closing her eyes. “That doesn’t work, Nathaniel. You always choose rock.”
He snorts underneath her. “Yes, but you sometimes let me win. That’s how I know when you actually want to do what we’re shooting over.”
She turns her head and looks back up at him, smiling. “I love you.”
He brushes her hair out of her eyes. “I love you too. Now, I guess we need to get up. I assume you had the private on duty summon Reilly for babysitting duty?”
Reluctantly getting to her feet, she looks down at him and nods. “Yes. It’s somewhat beneath her position at this point, but since I need Carter and Elisabeth at the command center, she’s the next best choice. Gracie loves her.” Alicia refers to their three-year-old.
He follows her up. “Agreed. And I know Reilly doesn’t mind.”
They both dress quickly, strapping on their holsters and various weapons out of habit, though the threats inside the colony are basically non-existent these days. They both sit on the edge of the unmade bed to lace up their boots. He finishes first and watches her. When she’s done, she leans forward on her elbows, trying but failing to stifle a yawn.
He laughs and rubs her back. “My thoughts exactly, Lieutenant.”
He stands up and leaves the room, and she grabs her leather jacket from the hook by their door and shrugs into it. He’s out in the living room waiting for her when she emerges from their bedroom with a pillow and blanket. She puts them down on the sofa just as they hear a soft tap at the door, and Alicia steps over and allows a sleepy looking Reilly to enter.
“Thanks for coming over, Laura.”
The younger woman yawns, and Alicia and Nathaniel both have to grin at her messy hair, sweatshirt and cotton shorts, paired with heavy socks and unlaced combat boots. “No problem, ma’am, sir.”
Nathaniel heads for the door, and Alicia points to the sofa. “Back to sleep, Sergeant. Gracie’s still out and probably will be for a few more hours.”
Reilly nods and, after kicking off her boots, wordlessly curls up on the sofa under the blanket. Alicia chuckles and follows Nathaniel out, guessing that Reilly will be asleep before Alicia can shut the door.
A few minutes later, they’re climbing the stairs of the command center, followed closely by the Shannons and Guz. When they get to the office, they find Carter already there. He’s perched on the edge of the conference table and has flopped back on it, eyes closed. Alicia snorts. “Need more beauty sleep, Carter?”
Carter throws his arm over his eyes, and when he replies, his voice drips with sarcasm. “Well, we can’t all be as naturally beautiful as you, Wash.”
Alicia’s snort is even louder at that, and she goes over and sits next to him on the edge the table. Nathaniel chuckles and shakes his head, still amused by the odd rapport shared by the two of them.
The others enter the office, and Alicia bumps Carter to get him to sit up. Jim comes over and sits on the other side of Alicia, while Guz, Elisabeth and Nathaniel stand there watching them. Jim immediately reaches around Alicia to goose Carter in the side, and Carter tries to retaliate. They both get an elbow to the side from Alicia.
Nathaniel clears his throat and crosses his arms across his chest, but Elisabeth and Guz both just laugh. Nathaniel raises an eyebrow at them. “Are you three done?” Alicia grins, and Jim and Carter look sheepish. “Lieutenant, would you like to enlighten everyone on the situation?”
Alicia snaps him a smart-assed salute. “Yes sir.”
They all grow more serious when Alicia explains why they’re all here in the middle of the night. Elisabeth asks a few questions about the more seriously injured scientist, but Alicia doesn’t have the answers. She looks at Guz. “Guz, can you take Elisabeth down to communications?”
Nathaniel nods. “Doc, talk to them out at the outpost, determine what you need, including personnel. We’ll sort out the rest of your escort.”
Guz and Elisabeth leave, and Nathaniel turns back to the three of them, still sitting on the table. Carter speaks up. “I assume I’m one of the team. At a minimum, I know Guz can’t go, mainly because we’re all too afraid of Mira to make Guz go OTG right now.”
They laugh quietly at that. Alicia shakes her head. “As if he’d be willing to leave her and Gabriel right now anyway.”
Jim smiles. “That really is a cute kid.”
Guz comes back in. “He is. Lucky boy looks more like his mother than like me.” He looks at all of them. “I’m assuming you already know I’m not willing to go yet, not unless it’s an absolute necessity.”
Alicia hops off the table and goes to his side, looping her arm through his. “We know, my friend. And as Carter noted, we’re all too afraid of your dear wife to ask you to.”
He chuckles. “Thanks. And I’ll tell her. She’ll be happy to hear it.”
Jim starts to say something, but Nathaniel shakes his head. “Shannon, if you’re going to volunteer, save it. Either Wash or I will go. We don’t send two parents out at the same time unless we have to. You know that.”
Jim sighs and nods. “I figured you’d say that. Understood. I’ll hang back with Zoe.”
From Guz’s side, Alicia looks over at Nathaniel. “Rock?”
He nods. “Scissors, right? You want to go.”
She pulls her arm away from Guz and walks over to Nathaniel. “I don’t want to go, but Carter and I can both help Elisabeth if needs be. I’m the one that should go.”
Nathaniel looks at the others. “Give us the room. Carter, go get geared up and, you know, let Skye know you’re going. Shannon, check with Elisabeth to see if she needs anything special. Guz, I know they’ll at least need a rhino and a rover in lead. Get Reynolds, Dunham and a couple of privates to go with them. With slashers out there, I don’t want them undergunned. Have everyone meet at the gate at oh-five-hundred.”
The men agree and beat a hasty retreat, clearly worried that there might be fireworks. They didn’t have to be concerned though. Nathaniel turns back to Alicia with a serious expression. “I can go, you know. You’re exhausted, and you just got back from OTG.”
She shakes her head and reaches up to cup his cheek in her palm. “You’re exhausted too, and it was just a day run. I’ll be fine. I’ll make Carter drive the rover with me and Dunham, and Reynolds can drive the rhino with the doc and the kids and a nurse if the doc brings one.”
As if on cue, Alicia’s comm goes off. “Alicia, this is Elisabeth, come in?”
She taps it on. “What do you need, Elisabeth?”
“Jim just called and said that he thinks both you and Carter are coming along. Can you confirm?”
“He’s right. I’m going to head home to get my gear, and Carter’s doing the same, that and telling the wife. Why?”
“If I have the two of you, I think we can go without a nurse. Agreed?”
Alicia nods. “Agreed. We can help with the wounded. OK to leave the rest of your staff here.”
“Great. Jim said to meet you at the gate at 5 am?”
“Affirmative, Elisabeth. We’ll be on the move as soon as the sun starts to rise.”
“I’ll see you then. Shannon out.”
Nathaniel takes her hand. “Let’s go get you geared up.”
They head home, making it back in a few minutes. When they quietly enter, they see that Reilly, the pillow and the blanket are missing from the sofa. Exchanging a concerned look, they split up. Nathaniel looks in their bedroom while Alicia heads for Gracie’s. Alicia quietly pushes open Gracie’s door, which was slightly ajar. The sight that greets her brings a grin to her face.
She hears Nathaniel behind her, and he comes to a stop, huffing out a soft laugh. Reilly is curled up in Gracie’s little bed with Gracie spooned in front of her. Reilly is using the pillow from the sofa, and they are both covered with the blanket. The tail of Gracie’s stuffed dinosaur peeks out from under the blanket as both of them sleep soundly.
They back quietly from the room, closing the door behind them. When they get to their room, they close the door behind them, and Nathaniel surprises her by spinning her and pressing her back into the door before pressing an intense kiss to her lips. She wraps her arms around him and opens her mouth to twine her tongue with his. A few moments later he pulls back and touches his forehead to hers. “Be careful, all right?”
“Always am.” She smiles up at him.
Not wanting to disturb Reilly and Gracie, they get her gear together and she puts on her armor in their room before she goes out and makes some coffee. She pours some into a mug, intending to finish it before they leave from the gate. He gets her a bowl of fruit that she likes, and they head up to the gate, seeing that it’s after four. She doesn’t like leaving Gracie without saying good-bye, but she also hates to wake her up this early.
By just after five, they have everyone and everything loaded up. She slips into the passenger seat of the rover, and Carter takes the wheel after Dunham gets in the back. As the sun begins to appear on the horizon, Nathaniel leans down to the door opening. “Safe travels, people. Don’t need to say it, but call in when you get there.”
She reaches up and squeezes his hand where it rests on the doorframe. “We will. Give Gracie a hug for me, and tell her I’ll call her tonight for storytime.”
He nods. “Yes ma’am.” He leans in and presses a kiss to her temple before straightening up and calling up to the men on duty to open the gate. He waves them out and they turn to the north, heading in what they all know is the direction of the Badlands.
After a few minutes with the only sound being the air moving past them as they fly towards the northern outpost, Carter says loudly, “It always feels weird going this way, even though we all know that the Phoenix Group and Lucas are gone.”
“I know what you mean.” She agrees, and she wraps her arms around herself a little and tries to suppress a yawn.
“Wash.”
She looks over at Carter and lifts a questioning eyebrow. “Take a nap,” he motions towards the back, “The kid and I will wake you up if something, you know, tries to eat us.”
Usually she’d argue, but the day before was long and today will likely be longer. She settles back in the seat. “You better. If something eats us, Nathaniel will be pissed.” The last thing she hears before dropping off is a chuckle from both Carter and Dunham.
A few hours later, Alicia wakes. They’re still moving through the trees, and she looks down at her watch. She rolls her shoulders, but despite the stiffness in them, she feels much better than she did a few hours ago. Carter looks over at her. “Feel better?”
“I do.” She smirks at him. “Are we there yet?”
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Halfway.”
Another few hours pass before they roll into the fenced area at the outpost. It’s early afternoon, and they all pile out of the two vehicles quickly. Elisabeth is the first through the doors of the outpost, followed closely by Alicia and Carter. Carter and Elisabeth go to see to the injured, and Alicia goes to communications to let them know they’re here and that she’ll check back in shortly.
She goes looking for Carter and Elisabeth then. The young soldier on babysitting duty meets her at the door of the small room where they have the two injured scientists, the third, uninjured one sitting in a chair between them looking distraught.
It’s clear that one of the injured, a woman, is hurt but fine. Alicia can see that her arm is wrapped tight, but that she otherwise seems all right. A male scientist, a man she recognizes as one of the lead botanists on Malcolm’s staff, looks far worse. His color is bad, and the bandages around his midsection are bloodied.
Carter helps Elisabeth while Alicia stands nearby with the soldier. “Corporal, how did this happen?”
The young man looks embarrassed. “Ma’am, they wanted to check out a night-blooming flower we’d seen nearby. I told them we’d have to get more support first, that I’d call in today. But they got overconfident because we haven’t seen any slashers during daylight hours. By the time I realized they were outside after dark, it was too late. I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Alicia pats him on the arm. “It’s OK, Corporal. If they left without telling you, it’s on them. You’re here as their protection, not as a warden.” She looks at the uninjured scientist, a young woman in training. “Caitlin, right?” The young woman nods. “Go with the corporal and get your things packed up. We’re all heading back to Terra Nova right now if we can move the doc here, or first thing in the morning.” She looks back at the corporal. “Help Caitlin get everything ready.”
The young man looks relieved, and he follows the girl out. “Yes ma’am.”
“Lieutenant?” Alicia looks to the bed of the injured female scientist, also in training, and she sees the woman beckon her over. She approaches the bed, a questioning look on her face. “Miss Cartwright, correct?”
The woman blushes. “Yes ma’am. I have something to tell you. Caitlin is worried you’ll think I’m making it up or just that I’m certifiable, but ma’am, when we were attacked, I heard voices. Human voices, a man and a woman. The woman sounded frightened and the man was yelling threats, as if he was chasing her. Then, I heard the man’s voice screaming.”
Alicia looks skeptical. “Miss Cartwright, you had a big scare…”
The woman looks stubborn. “Lieutenant, there were voices. I’d stake my life on it.”
With a steady gaze, Alicia sizes the woman up. Nothing in her body language or demeanor indicates that she’s making it up or that she’s confused. “Which way?”
“Back to the north, straight towards…”
“The Badlands.”
“Yes.” The woman nods.
“OK, Miss Cartwright, take it easy.”
Alicia turns to Carter and Elisabeth. Elisabeth gives her a worried look and motions towards the door. They walk into the hallway. “He’s mostly stable, Alicia, but we need to wait until tomorrow to move him. I’ve got some blood on ice, and I want to transfuse him, build him back up a bit before we go.”
Carter nods. “I’m with the doc, Wash. The wound’s nasty and deep. It’s a miracle it didn’t kill him.”
“Understood.” She proceeds to tell Carter and Elisabeth about what the other scientist told her.
Carter lifts an eyebrow. “She’s probably just panicky, Wash. There’s no one left out here.”
“I know, but she’s serious. We need to at least check it out to put her mind at ease.” She puts a hand on Carter’s arm. “I’ll take Mark and Dunham in the rover. We’ll just cut out a few klicks and back. Easy peasy.”
Elisabeth looks over at the young woman. “She does look distraught.”
Carter huffs out a breath. “Well, at least take me with…”
“No.” Alicia shakes her head. “Elisabeth needs one of us here. I’m going, you stay. We won’t be gone long.”
She doesn’t leave him any room to argue with her, just turning on her heel and heading out. Dunham and Reynolds are there, keeping an eye on the vehicles. Alicia sees the two privates walking the perimeter. She gets to Dunham and Reynolds. “Want to go for a ride, boys?”
Ten minutes later, they’re rolling towards the north, already a few klicks away from the outpost. Reynolds and Dunham, like Carter, expressed skepticism about this, but there is something gnawing at Alicia. Something about the young scientist’s story, about her face while telling it, made Alicia certain that they needed to check it out.
“Wash!” Reynolds’ voice cuts into her thoughts. She looks over at him, and he points off towards three o’clock. “I just saw something reflective. Might’ve been some kind of metal?”
She nods and steers the rover in the direction he indicated. A moment later she slams on the brakes. They peer through the windshield at the unexpected sight in front of them. It’s a man, dead, clearly mauled and partially eaten by predators, likely the same slashers that attacked their people. “Dunham, Mark, cover me.”
She hops out, gun drawn, and she approaches the mangled, destroyed body. The sight makes her brow furrow, as she looks down at the weapon next to the body. It’s an old handgun, what she thinks might actually be a flintlock pistol, the kind she remembers reading about being used in duels and the like. Her eyes travel to his clothing, and she can tell that it’s an old Earth style, maybe as old as the late 18th or early 19th century, which would fit with the pistol.
“Wash, what the hell?”
She looks up to see Mark hovering over her, staring at the corpse. “I don’t know.” She starts to say something when a crashing sound from the bushes make them all raise their rifles. Alicia says, “Fall back to the rover, now.” She quickly bends and grabs the pistol, and she backs towards their vehicle as the crashing gets closer.
But then, Alicia hears something that makes her freeze. “Help me, please! Help!” It’s a woman’s voice with what sounds like an English accent similar to Elisabeth’s, though somehow more formal. A second later, a young woman, no more than twenty years old, bursts out of the trees. She’s crying and filthy, and her arms and face are covered in scrapes and scratches. Long, blonde hair frames her face, falling out of what once was probably a neat bun.
The oddest part of the very odd moment is her clothing. She’s wearing a dress, empire waist, with elbow-length sleeves and a simple, straight skirt that nearly drags the ground. The girl stops, her eyes sweeping quickly from Reynolds to Dunham to Alicia. When her eyes land on Alicia, she almost visibly relaxes, and she all but throws herself at Alicia.
Alicia hands her rifle and the pistol to Mark, and she lets the girl cling to her. As she does, she feels her begin to shake, and then Alicia feels the girl begin to sob against her. She looks up to see the two men staring. “Dunham, Mark, eyes out for predators. There’ll be time to stare later.”
Suitably chastised, they both look sheepish and go back to watching the tree line. Alicia looks down at the girl clinging to her like moss on a rock. “Miss? Was anything chasing you?” She continues to cry, so Alicia tries again. “It’s important, Miss. I know you’re frightened, but I need to know if anything was chasing you.”
The girl’s arms tighten around Alicia, but she seems to get the tears under control. “No, nothing was chasing me, not since the night, Mrs.,” the girl hesitates, looking up at Alicia with red-rimmed light blue eyes. “I am terribly sorry, I do not know your name.”
Alicia almost laughs at the formality. “Just call me Lieutenant Washington.” She puts her hands on the girl’s upper arms and gently pushes her back half a step. “What’s your name?”
All of the color, what little she had, seems to be draining out of the girl’s face. When she replies, her voice is barely a whisper. “Caroline, Caroline Mary Ashford.” She stares up at Alicia. “Where are we? I want to go home. Please help me go home.” The tears form in the girl’s eyes again, and Alicia’s heart breaks just a little. But then, she has to lunge forward as the girl’s eyes roll up in her head and she faints dead away.
Alicia manages to catch her before she hits the ground, dropping to her knees under the dead weight. She looks down at the unconscious girl in her arms and then up at Dunham and Reynolds, who still appear to be in shock. “Well, this one is going to be fun to report back.”